"He had a lot of influence over me," said Brady. "I remember when I was a sophomore or junior we were talking about college and I was just so into basketball I said, "Coach, if I can't play basketball in college, I don't know if I even want to go."

He discussed this with her and eventually "helped me realize there is a lot more to life than basketball."

Like most good coaches, Johnson hoped to instill a work ethic in his players. He also asked them to be grateful for the sacrifices others made for them.

"He taught us to appreciate the little things," said Chivers. "He said, 'Control the things you can control.' And he taught us to always say thank you."

Johnson reminded the players that "there are people in our community who do a lot for us … and he wanted us to say thank you. He taught us just by his example to love, to give service and to take care of other people."

Law said lending a helping hand is something that came naturally to Johnson. A few weeks ago they were talking about how he'd like to be remembered.

"When I die, I want to be remembered as a good teammate," Law said Johnson told him. "That's what he really tried to teach his girls, and by that I mean the girls he coached in basketball. He'd always say over the years, people forget the wins and losses, but they do remember what kind of person you were. That was the most important to him — being a good teammate. By that, he meant, be unselfish, put the team ahead of personal goals or ambitions and when things are hard, we're there for each other."

Coach J hoped to make it to the fall, to welcome one more class of students to Uintah High. The cancer, which was discovered when he hit his head building a wall, would deny him that final wish.

But the legacy he left in the hearts and minds of the young people he coached and taught will live far beyond even Coach J's expectations.

"It's funny because when I'm doing drills," said Brady, "I still hear coach J's voice in my head."

E-MAIL: adonaldson@desnews.com